


i'm never gonna say i told you so

by doingthemost



Category: Happiest Season (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Not Harper-Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doingthemost/pseuds/doingthemost
Summary: "Hey," Riley says intently, her eyes searching Abby's face in the dark. She reaches instinctively for Abby's forearm and runs her thumb over the goosebumps she finds there. "I'm not gonna ask if you're okay, because that's a dumb question, but." She pauses, waiting to see if Abby will fill in the space she's left for her, then grimaces as a sort-of apology. "I'm sorry."A tiny little AU in which Riley's there, too, when John whisks Abby away from Harper's family home.
Relationships: Abby Holland/Riley Johnson
Comments: 44
Kudos: 420





	i'm never gonna say i told you so

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RhetoricalQuestions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhetoricalQuestions/gifts), [roguebaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguebaby/gifts), [wanderinghope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderinghope/gifts), [singsongsung](https://archiveofourown.org/users/singsongsung/gifts), [sonlali](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonlali/gifts).



> title from "told you so" from little mix. i wish someone had 'told me so' about watching this movie, but at least i got abby/riley out of it.

Riley means to go home when she leaves the party. Really, truly. 

But then, right when she thinks she's getting away, Harper knocks her for a loop as she always does. Riley has to take a moment, leaning against the side of her car, to process their conversation – one she's never once imagined them truly having, complete with a thin apology – when she hears it.

She doesn't mean to eavesdrop, but the door's wide open and Abby is within plain sight. And Riley's spent the last decade working over what happened to her in high school, trying to find peace in the situation, and attempting to find it in her heart to forgive Harper – and most of the time, she thinks she has. 

But Abby is kind, and thoughtful, and charismatic – not that it _matters_ right now when Abby's eyes are red with tears, visible even from where Riley's standing outside – and even if they barely know each other, Riley can't see someone else go through the same shit she did. So when Abby and John cross the threshold and step outside, hurt and protectiveness etched respectively on their faces, Riley's at Abby's side right away. 

"Hey," Riley says intently, her eyes searching Abby's face in the dark. She reaches instinctively for Abby's forearm and runs her thumb over the goosebumps she finds there. "I'm not gonna ask if you're okay, because that's a dumb question, but." She pauses, waiting to see if Abby will fill in the space she's left for her, then grimaces as a sort-of apology. "I'm sorry."

The set line of Abby's jaw is admirable. (Riley only wants to trace it with her fingertips for professional, dermatological reasons.) When it had been Riley left to drown in the wake of Harper's tendency for casual destruction, she'd never been this determined. Of course, she'd been a teenager then, and Abby's a grown adult now, but Riley can't look away from Abby's composure in the face of the hardest kind of heartbreak.

"Me, too." Abby shrugs one shoulder, and her wet eyes glance sideways, towards John, before she looks back at Riley and her mouth twists into a wry, sad sort of smile. "I'm sorry for you, too."

Riley and John are flanking Abby now, two queer people protecting one of their own, and their eyes meet over the top of Abby's head. Riley's suddenly very aware of the position as the outsider amongst their makeshift group of three, but that doesn't seem to stop John from saying, "Let's get out of here." He tilts his head, appraising Riley, his gaze drifting down to Riley's hand on Abby's arm, before he nods, seemingly satisfied with something. "You wanna come?"

"Yeah." Riley can feel Harper's presence in the doorway behind them, but she doesn't look back. Instead, she tightens her hand gently around Abby's wrist, imbuing the gesture with as much reassurance as she can manage, and quirks one eyebrow when Abby looks up at her. "There's a spot down the street with plenty of cheese fries and beer, if you're interested?"

Abby's smile broadens into a brief, fleeting grin. "You're a lifesaver, Riley." 

"Thanks." Riley smiles, too; Abby's grin is contagious, even while there's a tear slowly running down her face. Riley can't help but reach out and wipe it away – really, truly, _solely_ for very important, medical purposes. "Come on, I'll drive." 

John wraps his arm around Abby's shoulder, mouthing a _thank you_ in Riley's direction, and the three of them head towards Riley's car.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr at alamborghini!


End file.
